TO THE END | Shaymien

Chapter 3

Damien watched the dawn sun arise, the effect painting the horizon a light pink and orange with swirls of purple clouds gliding over his hometown. He squinted from the small sunlight that had hit the window and shined down onto his face as he tried to glimpse at his school far ahead of him.

Damien was shaking with nerves intertwining his hands together from time to time. He didn't want to come off as sensitive, nor didn't he want his new classmates to think he was 'inferior'  to everyone else. He sighed letting his head his the back of his seat, stopping the crystalline tears from rolling down his face. He didn't like showing weakness around his parents, or anyone for the matter.

"Are you excited, Damien?" Marilyn asked in her soft feminine voice as she gripped the leather steering wheel tightly.

Damien pursed his pale chapped lips together. His dark eyebrows scrunched in thought for a moment. "Um, sure." He mumbled.

Marilyn's eyes softened sincerely in the rearview window, continuing to stare down at the road in front of her. "Damien, I heard that this place is one of the best in Georgia. I can tell you are dreading it at the moment but trust me, you will learn to love school."

"I'm not like the other kids' mom," I swallowed back my whimpers. "I'm different."

"How are you any different?" My mother asked. "You are just as normal as everyone else in the world dear."

He sighed and leaned deeper into the seat.

After their small conversion, his mother said nothing else. He did notice however that her hands were gripping the wheels tighter making her blindingly pale skin turn impossibly paler.

Damien's heart panged guiltily whilst chewing on his thin bottom lip. He stared directly back at the sunrise once again and slowly relaxed from the conversation seconds earlier.

As the ride continued for a couple more minutes, the car soon came to a violent stop outside of his new school.

"Do you want me to walk you in?" My mother asked as she turned her body towards me. "Or do you think I'm going to embarrass you?"

Damien shook his head. "Please," he asked as he opened his car door and tucked his hands underneath of his bag straps. He watched his mother climb out after him and curl her fingers around Damien's small free hand.

The school in front of them was extremely modern and it towered over them and the car park. Soon Damien filled with intimidation but continues to make his way into the school with encouragement by his mother's soft hands.

Damien had zoned out throughout the whole walk to his class due to him overthinking almost everything but as soon as he walked into class he felt undeniably insecure.

After some excruciatingly awkward silence, finally, Damien caught the sight of a person sitting down with their hair covering their face, looking over at the empty seat in front of them. It was a girl, Damien could tell by her feminine assigned school uniform. She was dressed in her compulsory school uniform. White button up shirt tucked into her red plaid skirt with sheer stockings. She had her knees drawn up to her chest on her seat as she stared ahead with her unbrushed black hair falling down onto her shoulders and her eyes were unidentifiable due to her position.

As soon as my mum raised her voice to introduce me to the class and my teacher the girl leaned back against her chair giving her attention to where I stood. I saw a pool of crystal tears pool under her eyes threatening to fall down her brown cheek. Her lower lip quivering just as mine had when sitting upon my tree.

The moment Damien saw the tears threaten to run down the girl's smooth cheek, Damien felt his stomach plummet.

Maybe she was different like him.